Feben:
The New Fairy
Godmother

On Ball Gowns and Beyoncé, A Conversation with the London-Based Designer

Interview: Helene Kleih
Images/Photos Courtesy Of: Feben

“What’s the point if you don’t look twice?” This is London-based womenswear designer Feben's mantra. Her woman, in a nutshell, is “fun, cool, but still a bit of a bitch.” Feben’s ideas come into fruition through influential, rebellious icons such as Eartha Kitt and Maya Angelou, speckled with “colors, strangers, friends—anything with a good story.”

On the topic of icons: Beyond completing her Central Saint Martins MA collection during the pandemic, Feben has adorned the likes of Erykah Badu, Robyn, Celeste, and most recently Michaela Coel and Janelle Monáe, for covers of AnOtherMag, Love Magazine, Office Magazine, and Garage Magazine. This year, despite all of its restrictions, has been fruitful for the designer. In addition to landing a styling and costume design role for Beyonce’s epic film Black is King, her designs appeared in Vogue Italia’s “Black Nonsense,” a body of work curated by photographer and filmmaker Tyler Mitchell and playwright Jeremy O. Harris. Feben’s latest campaign, entitled “It’s Not Right But It’s OK,” featured some of London’s finest creatives, photographed by pioneer Liz Johnson Artur (who has chronicled Black culture for over 3 decades), and styled by the ingenious and in-demand Ib Kamara. Her collection will launch exclusively on SSENSE in early 2021.

The young designer remains undeterred despite the catastrophe of 2020. Turbulence does not hinder her—it informs her practice. She is not concerned with the rigidity of traditional learning or ideals, but rather with experimentation: mismatched prints and asymmetrical silhouettes, weaving mesh into merino wools and giving garments volume. Feben’s work aims to inspire change via both education and aesthetics, investigating the more abstract versions of herself and of Blackness, “reclaiming displacement through a surrealistic approach to Black identity.” For her project “The Last Supper T,” a collaboration with Dexter Lander for Black Minds Matter, Feben revisited her final collection to create 10 miniature Black dolls, offering a roster of Black women an image they can identify with—one where their pain is not curtailed, and joy is not minimized.

Feben approaches fashion through the microcosm of these dolls. The woman is dressed up, the nuances of her person accounted for. Feben does not homogenize and allows the trope of the strong Black woman room for fragility and delicacy, while always retaining prowess.

Helene Selam Kleih

Feben

You were the stylist and costume designer for “Brown Skin Girl,” part of Beyoncé's film, Black is King. Where did you look for inspiration?

My team and I looked at ball gowns, and then I redesigned them. I work with a lot of volume and 3-D draping so it came naturally to me, even with just one word as guidance—Beyoncé literally just said she wanted something “beautiful.”
I also looked at birds, actually. When a bird is sitting on the floor, its wings create this volume and you can see that in one of the scenes. Costume design can be tacky sometimes, so it's very important for me to differentiate what other people want and what my personal vision is as a designer.

How would you describe that experience?

I've been a big fan of Beyoncé, and like most girls, I've loved Destiny's Child. But really, the importance lies in how much young people enjoy it. It is literally for “Brown Skin Girls,” something to look at to feel like they belong and that they're beautiful. It would have definitely had an imprint in my childhood—as a Black little girl, it makes you feel more valued in society.

Like when Brandy played Cinderella. Remember the song “Impossible” by Whitney, as the fairy godmother?

I kept singing that while I was at CSM because I didn't think it was possible for someone like me to be there. The course is very intense and really shapes you as a designer. However, it was frustrating at points as I was the only Black woman in my class, and my history and references were unheard of. I was told they were “too personal” when in reality it was just something that they had never experienced.

What’s the importance of creating an authentic visual identity?

My work is an expression of my journey. It’s imperative and almost impossible for it not to translate as authentic because it’s a window to my world. I think it’s important that your work reflects the times and what you stand for as a person.

You featured an image of your mother on a bag in your last collection. How has she informed your approach to design?

She's a strong Black woman, she raised me on her own and has always pushed me to do better. I grew up in various refugee camps in Sweden, and she showed me you can do anything from nothing, it's not just middle-class folks that can make things happen. And also that, even if you're going through it, you can still pull a look!
I left Sweden when I was 18 and lived in Sydney for a year. I came back on my birthday and my Mum asked me, “What are you going to do now?” I had £70 left and my Mum opened a suitcase and filled it with instant noodles and my sewing machine, and I left for London a few days later.

How does your environment shape your work?

The different cultures I was surrounded by definitely shaped my style, London via Sweden and Ethiopia. My work is a reflection of my own experience navigating the world as a Black woman, the different cultures I’ve been exposed to, and the expectations of who I was “supposed to be.” It really is just celebrating Black identity and uplifting the community.
Whenever I go home (to Sweden), I go through my photo albums and always see something I haven't seen before. I also collect 3-D objects from other countries that inspire me—it can be small and completely random, and I just love the color or the shape or the texture. It starts with the miniature and it can then become a garment or a whole look.

Do you have any mentors in fashion?

Henderson McCue was my tutor at London College of Fashion and we later became friends. He was always there for me whenever I needed advice, technically or emotionally. He sadly passed away last year. Before LCF, he worked at Gareth Pugh as a creative pattern cutter. I dedicated the Zilla suit from my last collection to him—the sleeve is a Henderson tribute.

Your work has always been very community-driven, it feels like a family affair.

It’s birthed from research and always with the intention to reinforce the community. Whether it be from creating more visibility or experiences, it’s ultimately for someone that believes in my ethos and world. We can always uplift each other. It’s a beautiful thing to work with family, it feels quite rare to find that connection with someone.

What advice would you offer to someone trying to make it in fashion?

Work hard, stay focused. Think about what you’re putting out into the world and don’t forget to laugh. Don't doubt yourself—there are so many different things you can do when you have nothing, and I feel like my story is a sentiment of that. I've always been able to pull through with nothing. I mean, it's been a bitch, but I've done it.

And what do you hope for yourself?

I hope that I can continue doing what I love the most in whatever setting it may be. I want to uplift my community and also collaborate further afield more. Having a point of view is something I will always carry with me, alongside a bag of dreams I hope to express. But, let’s be real, I just want to make my mother proud.